


Twenty-Eight Days Earlier

by Netgirl_y2k



Series: the one where Shaw takes the zombie apocalypse in her stride [2]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 00:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6400096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netgirl_y2k/pseuds/Netgirl_y2k
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw found Root’s lack of squeamishness when it came to looting corpses refreshing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twenty-Eight Days Earlier

**Author's Note:**

> The missing how Root and Shaw met scene from my [zombie AU](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5103854).

Meeting Root was a bit like coming across a horny fourteen year old boy in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

Okay, Shaw might have given her the wrong idea when the first thing she did after finding Root the only survivor in an abandoned psychiatric hospital was demand that she strip to her skin…

It had been to check for zombie bites, but the way Root immediately jumped to cheesy come-on after cheesy come-on, well, it was like she wanted Shaw to kneecap her and leave her to be eaten by zombies.

“Oh, I’m definitely looking to get eaten,” said Root with a shit-eating grin that Shaw figured would quickly get annoying.

“This place have an in-house pharmacy?” Shaw asked instead.

*

Shaw shovelled pill bottles into her bag as Root relieved the corpse jammed behind the door of its boots. The pharmacist must have weighed up her chances with the zombies, looked at the room filled with prescription medications, and made her choice.

Root hopped up on the counter and kicked off her hospital issued slippers. “I would have pegged you for a light traveler, Shaw.”

“Do you know how to make antibiotics?”

“No.”

“Well then.”

Root plucked a bottle of anti-depressants from Shaw’s grip. “These aren’t antibiotics.”

“Barter economy,” Shaw grunted, taking the pills back. “Get back to shoe shopping.”

Root chuckled and drew her long legs up, shoving her feet into black boots with short, chunky heels.

“You better be able to run in those,” said Shaw. It was the closest thing to an engraved invitation Root was going to get.

*

Woods surrounded the hospital on all sides.

The good: they would hear any zombies coming from a mile away.

The bad: a zombie might get damn close before Shaw could get a headshot.

Shaw walked with her gun drawn, her finger by the trigger. Root carried a taser she’d taken from the body of a hospital security guard.

Shaw found Root’s lack of squeamishness when it came to looting corpses refreshing.

Root crossed to walk on Shaw’s left side. “I’m deaf in my right ear,” she said offhandedly.

At least Root knew well enough to compensate for it, and Shaw supposed it was past time she found out exactly how much of a liability her new friend was going to be.

“Have you ever used a gun, Root?”

“Yes.”

“Really. What did you do before the zombies?”

“I killed people.”

Shaw raised an eyebrow. “Recreationally?”

“Not always.” Out of the corner of her eye Shaw saw Root’s shit-eating grin. “What did you do? Before?”

“I killed people.”

“ _Really?_ ”

“Not recreationally.” Root’s face actually fell a little at that, and Shaw felt a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. 

If Cole were still here he would have had a heart attack at the idea of Shaw giving her backup piece to a definitely insane possible serial killer. Shaw handed her spare gun to Root with a gruff command not to waste bullets.

*

Root had gamely traipsed through the woods in her stolen boots, and hospital pyjamas and bathrobe. But once they reached the nearest town she asked if they couldn’t find somewhere for her to loot some clothes; Root made her request sotto voce with a sweet smile, but there was a set to her hips that said she wasn’t moving, which was why Shaw sighed audibly and agreed that they could stop.

*

The mall doors were barricaded from the inside. Root and Shaw had to climb onto the roof and gain access that way, something no zombie would have had the brains to do.

“Brains, heh,” said Shaw

“Sameen, you nerd,” said Root, sounding delighted.

“Shut up and climb, Root.”

There were bodies piled high in the mall, but no zombies had gotten to them. They mostly seemed to be college-aged kids who’d responded to the end of the world by locking themselves in a mall and hacking each other to death with machetes and replica katanas.

Maybe some sort of desperate last stand had turned into a different sort of suicide than the pharmacist's.

Root went to look for clothes while Shaw searched the bodies in the hope that at least a few of these kids had thought to bring anything as useful as guns and ammunition.

Shaw was crouched on her heels going through the pockets of a blood splattered coat when Root cleared her throat. She was now dressed in jeans and a leather biker jacket. Shaw dragged her eyes appreciatively up the other woman’s body; at least Root was bright enough to pick clothes that couldn’t be easily bitten through.

“Got you a present,” said Root, tossing the rifle she was holding to Shaw. “Sporting goods store.”

Shaw caught the rifle smoothly. “Ready to move out?”

“One second.” Root picked up a bloody katana and slung it over her shoulder. “Now I’m ready.”

Root was built like a baby deer, which was fine as long as she could shoot straight - if a zombie ever got close enough that you had to fight it hand to hand you were as good as infected - but she looked so pleased with her new toy.

"And you called me a nerd," Shaw grumbled.

*

They scrambled over the barricade, and pushed their way out into the parking lot, guns drawn and alert.

Shaw crossed smoothly to Root’s right to cover her bad ear.


End file.
